Round Trip
by Artemis Ignitan
Summary: The Ferris Wheel goes round and round, so does N's thoughts and words. Ferris Wheel scene from the Black and White games from N's point of view. Can be read as N x Main Character. Spoilery.


**(A/N): Derrr. I haven't written a Pokemon story in ages. Damn you, Black and White, you got me back into the fandom. Haha.**

**So, a friend of mine showed me some fanmade translations of several ingame dialogues with or involving N. The Ferris Wheel scene was one in particular that I really wanted to hear translated, and it didn't disappoint me. However, I found some of the dialogue to be a bit inane and abrupt, and I wanted to try and reason through said words, see if I could theorize as to why it went the way it did. Add in said friend shipping N x MC hardcore and you get me being prompted to actually put my thought down into words for once, and I must say that writing this, among other things, really does make me ship it. :D  
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**Anyways, enjoy!  
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**Round Trip  
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"You are looking for Team Plasma? They ran inside the amusement park. Follow me." He motioned to somewhere inside the park, and the younger trainer followed without hesitation. For a brief moment, N wondered how he could have lost to such a naive child, one who trusted so easily. And yet...perhaps that quality was what made their Pokemon trust them? It had to be. Not everyone could surely be this easy to trust, if they were, Pokemon wouldn't be...

N looked up to keep his mind clear, eyes coming to rest on the large Ferris Wheel that they were coming up to. "They're not here...let's look for them on the Ferris wheel."

He was greeted with a look of incredulity and exasperation from the smaller trainer next to him, as if they couldn't believe what he was saying. Apparently they were really dead-set on finding and battling the Team Plasma members, which wasn't good...

"We can probably spot them from up there."

The other trainer gave him another funny look, before following him into one of the Ferris Wheel booths. So guileless...

Indeed, he was taken at his word: while he stretched back and sat comfortably in the booth, content to just ride it, the other trainer sat opposite him and was on edge, constantly on alert and watching out the window for any odd-looking folks (and N himself had to admit, the Plasma outfits weren't exactly _hard_ to spot). Or, they were alert and watching until the Pokemon next to them let out a warble of surprise and delight at seeing everything from so high up, and the trainer let them onto their lap so they could look out together. N thought he remembered seeing that Pokemon, but it had been so little at the time. It had evolved now, and while it was by no means big, it was still a size that should have made it sitting on the trainer's lap uncomfortable, at the very least. Had they become that close? Was it even possible for humans and Pokemon to be that close? He didn't like those thoughts, pulling his eyes away from the Pokemon's ears getting scratched absentmindedly and affectionately, looking up.

"I love riding the Ferris Wheel...the circular motions, the mechanics...it's a gathering of wonderful numeric formulas." Again, another look of incredulity was sent his way, and he couldn't help but note it with amusement. He must sound at least a bit loopy from the sudden, out-of-place comment. N couldn't help but feel a bit of surprise at himself for saying it. Yes, he did like Ferris wheels (they reminded him of his train set in his room, always going around and around and around), but he wouldn't normally go around saying so-it was too personal, too inane, too trivial. So why did he tell the person sitting across from him? Did they unsettle him that much, make him want to say things so he wouldn't have to pay attention to them? It was ridiculous.

The other trainer had shrugged, paying no attention to who they considered their slightly eccentric rival and looking back out the window. Luckily, the other Plasma members were still out of sight, as they were now at the peak of their trip and it was hard to spot anything that was too close to the base of the wheel, which he knew they would soon gather around. And even with the obvious trap set for them in place by him and Geechisu...the person opposite him would probably _still_ trust him, take it as a mere coincidence, perhaps even have the audacity to try and defend him. They were that naive. And it didn't sit well with him, for some reason. Deceiving someone who was the first to surprise him with a happy and devoted Pokemon, someone who might be able to face him on equal ground as a hero (for after them, his eyes were open to more of the same, and they were the ones that made him wonder if he was truly a hero)...he would not stand for this. True heroes were meant to fight open and unrestrained battles, not ones marred by the shadows of deceit. He would give them the chance to prove him right or wrong.

"...I should have said it from the beginning, that I'm Team Plasma's king."

That got the other person's attention, snapping their head to him in shock and disbelief. Then, a half-smile, as if some part of them were clinging to the thought that he must be joking.

_Naive..._

"Geechisu asked me if I could rescue Pokemon together with him. I wonder how much longer Pokemon can remain in this world..."

As he continued to talk, N saw their expression change, cycle through several different emotions: more shock, disbelief, then realization...and then hurt and betrayal. Had they put that much stock in his previous interactions, had honestly accepted him as a rival, a good person? Was it really that easy for them to assume that, so hard for them to believe that someone was bad? Was the world as a whole bad if that was the case?

Could they be more in touch with the realities of the world than he?

The ride stopped. N exited the booth, watched the remaining occupant stare at him dumbly while their Pokemon looked ready to attack, ready to defend against whatever he chose to do to its trainer now that he had established himself as a threat. It looked furious. It looked like it didn't want to be taken away. Its snarling seemed to wake up the other trainer from their stupor, and they walked numbly out.

As soon as they did, the grunts that were waiting for the ambush appeared, calling out to him.

"N-sama! Are you okay?"

Those words seemed to make the trainer bolt, the last nail in the coffin for whatever beliefs they held about him before.

"I'm okay."

The eyes widened, then narrowed, and it was the that N knew that whatever ambush they had planned, it wouldn't work. The grunts wouldn't be able to stand up to this trainer. It had to be him. It had to be a clash of heroes.

In order to rescue Pokemon, I found someone who collects them...I'll protect them."

The trainer seemed to understand his intentions, and tensed, prepared to fight him. Already, the Pokemon in front of them was huffing angrily, ready to charge.

"While I'm fighting, you guys run away." And then he faced the other trainer down directly, staring straight into their eyes.

"Well...do you understand my thoughts?"

-FIN-

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**(A/N): (insert ending note here whatever)  
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End file.
